Guide: How to Set Up a High-Performing Promotion
About This Guide
Spring is the first major promotional window of the year. Easter and Mother's Day create two strong opportunities for online stores. Each event requires different mechanics, timing and messaging to convert.
This guide walks you through six operational steps to structure a promotion that performs. You will learn how to configure the right discount logic, activate campaigns, secure checkout, build trust, handle support demand and stay legally protected.
Each step is paired with a vetted PrestaShop module so you can take action immediately, not just read recommendations.
Key Dates to Plan Around
| Event | Date |
| Easter Sunday | 5 April 2026 |
| Mother's Day (FR) | 31 May 2026 |
| Mother's Day (ES) | 3 May 2026 |
| Mother's Day (IT) | 10 May 2026 |
| Mother's Day (PL) | 26 May 2026 |
STEP 1: Define the Right Promotional Mechanics
Category: Promotions & Gifts
Many promotions start with a discount percentage. In practice, the structure of the promotion matters more than the discount itself. During Easter and Mother’s Day campaigns, customers often buy gifts, combine products or react to time pressure.
Before launching a campaign, clearly define the promotion type: volume discounts, bundles, packs, gift incentives or gift cards. Then set precise rules and exclusions to protect pricing logic and avoid margin erosion at checkout.
Easter use case:
- 3x2 offers on seasonal product collections such as confectionery, home or lifestyle items
- Tiered discounts triggered by cart value (-10% above €50, -15% above €80)
Mother’s Day use case:
- Gift-ready bundles with a fixed price or a small promotional incentive
- Gift cards for last-minute shoppers who miss delivery deadlines
Recommended modules
STEP 2: Automate Campaign Activation
Category: Email & Marketing Automation
Promotions often fail because communication happens only once. A single email or social post rarely converts enough traffic. High-performing campaigns rely on automation that runs before, during and after the event.
Build a structured communication sequence: awareness before the campaign, reminders before the event, urgency during the promotion and follow-up messages for visitors who did not convert.
Easter use case:
- Segment customers by past purchases to promote relevant product families
- Send a campaign announcement 10-14 days before the event and a reminder 48 hours before
Mother’s Day use case:
- Trigger flows based on browsing behaviour such as visits to gift pages
- Retarget high-intent visitors before delivery deadlines
Recommended modules
STEP 3: Secure the Checkout Before Driving Traffic
Category: Payment By Card Or Wallet
Driving traffic to an untested checkout can quickly damage campaign performance. During promotional peaks, small payment frictions often translate into abandoned carts.
Before launching the campaign, validate that the checkout flow is stable, fast and optimized for mobile users.
What to validate before your campaign goes live:
- Payment success rate under simulated load
- Mobile checkout experience
- Address autofill and one-step validation for returning customers
Recommended modules
STEP 4: Make Trust Visible
Category: Customer Reviews
Seasonal purchases are often gifts. When customers buy for someone else, they become more risk-averse. Reviews, guarantees and credibility signals therefore influence conversion directly.
Displaying reviews and trust certifications alongside promotional offers reassures visitors and helps recover hesitant buyers.
Where trust signals matter most:
- Product pages for featured seasonal products
- Cart and checkout pages
- Campaign emails where trust badges reinforce credibility
Recommended modules
STEP 5: Prepare AI Support and Automation
Category: Artificial Intelligence
Support volume increases sharply during seasonal campaigns. Most questions are predictable: delivery deadlines, promo codes, order status or product suitability. Automating these answers allows your team to focus on complex cases instead of repetitive questions.
At the same time, connecting your store to AI tools can also automate operational actions such as retrieving data, checking orders or updating catalog information during peak activity.
What to prepare in advance:
- FAQ flows explaining delivery cut-off dates
- Chatbot responses for promo codes and gift cards
- Automated order confirmations and shipping updates
- AI-assisted actions to retrieve store data or execute operational tasks
Recommended modules
STEP 6: Secure and Comply
High-traffic campaigns attract abuse. Spam, fake accounts and automated checkout attempts often increase during promotional peaks.
At the same time, increased visibility means legal and accessibility compliance must be respected.
Minimum actions before going live:
- Enable reCAPTCHA on registration, contact and checkout forms
- Review accessibility compliance with EAA and WCAG standards
- Ensure return and refund policies are clearly visible
Recommended modules
The Checklist
✓ Define the offer: discount mechanics and rules configured
✓ Automate activation: campaign sequences scheduled and tested
✓ Secure checkout: payment flow validated on desktop and mobile
✓ Reinforce trust: reviews and certifications visible on product pages
✓ Prepare support: chatbot flows configured for seasonal questions
✓ Protect the store: reCAPTCHA active and accessibility reviewed
